Tourism sector industries generate a large number of highly diversified jobs in different branches of activities such as hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, tour operators, leisure activities and passenger transport. Human resources are a key element in ensuring the quality and content of tourism products. There is a growing need for skilled manpower able to meet the needs of a changing environment and to maintain the competitiveness of tourism enterprises. In a competitive labour market, the tourism sector suffers from a relatively poor image and finds it difficult to retain employees on a long-term basis.

In the light of these changes and challenges, strategies for managing and promoting human resources have a central role to play in a sustainable development approach to tourism. The understanding of labour markets in the tourism sector remains inadequate. The effects of the new practices introduced by certain governments and the industry to improve skills and enhance the competitiveness of the sector in the labour market have not been widely shared and assessed. The pursuit of strategies to promote the skills needed in a globalising tourism industry must be continued. Lastly, in a context of liberalisation and globalisation of tourism services, the possibility of harmonising the differing regulatory approaches to the labour market in the tourism sector should be discussed in depth with all actors on national and international labour markets.